CD Covers

   The mise-en-scene is fairly simple on Beyoncé’s album. She is in the middle but leaning to the left and wearing a sparkly net top. You can just see the top of her jeans which show all of her stomach. Her hair is blowing backwards which makes her look more natural and relating to the audience. It also shows her earrings which match her top. However, the back ground is just blue that fades towards near the top and it’s not very interesting so she is the thing that the attention is drawn to. The album title is in the bottom right hand corner of the album and her name above it in larger letters. The lighting looks as if it is shining straight towards her and lights up her face and body.

   On ‘Liberation Transmission’ the background is very plain, like the R&B album because the designers of the cover wanted to draw the audience’s attention to the main picture. However, unlike the R&B album cover the main picture isn’t a person. It is a crest that has been drawn by a computer or a person. Crests are things that have a history behind them and represent something like a family or a school. This crest represents their transmission of liberation. There is also blood splattered over the front of it with connotes that it is a message worth fighting for and a controversial one.

   The main image on each album is different because the artists both have different star values. Beyoncé’s star value is image. She represents beauty, wealth and fashion and people want to be like her. Lostprophet’s star value is persona, they don’t advertise themselves; they advertise their music.

   On Beyoncé’s album, the background is blue which is just to make Beyoncé stand out, but she is wearing jewellery that is silver which connotes wealth. The Lostprophets album is black and white which is very clear and bold. It connotes they are not afraid to say what they believe in. The blood splattered across it is red and this symbolises death and danger. The font used on Beyoncé’s album is a very modern font and shines in a silvery white colour. This connotes she is modern and fashionable and it looks cool so it will appeal to people. On ‘Liberation Transmission’, the font is huge bold and black. It stands out and makes itself clear. It is very square and this looks more rigid and strong, connoting they won’t be knocked back easily.

   Beyoncé’s album appeals to her target audience because they want to be like her and what she looks like on the cover. By buying the album, it is like having a little piece of this for themselves, so she shows her body and wealth on the front. Lostprophets’ audience like the music for what it is and don’t care about the image of the artists, so it’s not on there. They like what they stand for, so Lostprophets make it clear on the cover.